Recently I went on a short holiday with my family to Copenhagen. We rented a flat belonging to (if the shoe collection and cupcake-baking supplies are anything to go by) a young woman roughly my age, and had a great time staying in a residential neighborhood, shopping, eating and living as the Danes do.

One dark, chilly evening, we were eating dinner when my mum remarked on the number of candles scattered around the living room. A quick tally proved that there were in fact eighteen of them. Eighteen, not including those in the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. What's more, every candle was in a previously-burnt state, proving that these weren't just for show.

As a Canadian/Brit, I don't think I've ever had more than four candles to my name at one time before, but I think I like this Scandinavian cultural quirk. On our holiday we noticed that the "candle aisle" in Danish grocery stores was infinitely better-stocked (and better-priced) than any we'd seen before, and candlesticks and tea light holders were de rigeur in every design or home goods shop.

The moral of this story? The Scandinavians use a lot of candles, and do them really well. I've rounded up a few of my favourites here: